


A Children's Game

by Wife_of_Bath



Category: 16th Century CE RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-27
Updated: 2014-02-27
Packaged: 2018-01-14 00:06:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1245352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wife_of_Bath/pseuds/Wife_of_Bath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael play Truth or Dare.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Children's Game

**Author's Note:**

> I-Will-Not-Apologize-For-Art sent me this prompt months ago on Tumblr, but I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do with it until I went to Florence last week. I couldn't resist throwing in a little bit of my ship of Michelangelo/Raphael (as well as some implied Leonardo/Raphael).
> 
> After much consideration, I decided to use the Italian form of Raphael's name.

“Your turn. Truth or Dare?” 

“Truth.” 

Raffaello considered his question for a minute. There was always something he had wanted to ask Signor Leonardo. “Why have you never delivered the portrait in your studio?” It was the one work of Signor Leonardo’s that Raffaello had always admired the most. A difficult thing to say considering the man’s amount of output, but even the painting of Leda and the Swan had not captured Raffaello’s attention and admiration as much as the portrait of Signora Lisa del Gioconda. The pose, the landscape, the sublime modelling of various shades of grey enchanted him. This was portraiture taken to a new height, and Raffaello was eager to learn all he could from it. 

Signor Leonardo’s eyes lowered as he formulated his answer. A few feet away, a flock of pigeons suddenly took flight, soaring over the dome of the cathedral. Signor Leonardo traced the edge of the stone step they sat on with his finger.

“I suppose when it came to it, I did not have the heart to part with it. The more I worked on it, the more it become not just a simple portrait of a noble lady. I pushed myself with her portrait to see all that I could do. To be poetic, I ended up placing some of my soul in that painting. Of course, we do that with all our work, to various extents, but sometimes, we create something that takes more than even we expect.” 

“But your commission?” 

A small smile crossed Signor Leonardo’s lips. Reaching out, he pushed a small strand of Raffaello’s hair away from his face. “When you are older, you will understand.” 

“I am sure I will.” Raffaello shrugged. “I am glad you never delivered it. If you had, I would not have been able to improve my skills.” 

“Always an ulterior motive. All right, Truth or Dare?”

Raffaello pursed his lips together. Truth was fairly safe; he had very little to hide from the world and even less from Signor Leonardo. They had been playing around with truth for a while, though, and Raffaello was beginning to grow tired of it. A thrilling edge ran with dares. Raffaello wondered what mad thing Signor Leonardo would ask him to do on the steps of the cathedral in full view of everyone. 

“I pick—.” The sight of a scowling figure, head down and clothes in disarray, walking across the piazza distracted him. Raffaello jumped up and waved. “Signor Michelangelo! Come join us!” 

“Oh no,” Raffaello heard Signor Leonardo mutter.

Michelangelo turned towards them. He held several sketches protectively under his arm. “No.” He began to walk away. 

“Please. We are playing a game, and it would be nice if you would join us.”

“No it would not,” Signor Leonardo murmured. Raffaello decided to ignore him. Unlike Signor Leonardo, Raffaello liked Michelangelo, even if his personality was difficult and Raffaello did not always agree with his ideas about art. Michelangelo had incredible talent, and Raffaello enjoyed studying his works, something he suspected Michelangelo did not appreciate.

Michelangelo paused. “What game?”

“Truth or Dare.”

Michelangelo’s dark eyes flitted between Raffaello and Signor Leonardo. It lingered on Raffaello’s face for a few minutes before Michelangelo shrugged. “Very well.” Sitting on the steps, he placed his sketches far to the side, as if he feared Signor Leonardo or Raffaello getting a peak at them. He leaned forward to look at Signor Leonardo. Signor Leonardo met his gaze, a flinty look in his own eyes. Raffaello had the feeling he was between two rams with very thick skulls. Folding his hands together, he decided to focus on the hem of his tunic.

“I am here,” Michelangelo said. “Now what?” 

“As young Sanzio said, we are playing Truth or Dare,” Signor Leonardo explained. “You do know Truth or Dare, do you not?” 

“Of course,” Michelangelo said gruffly. “It is a children’s game. I was a child too once, you know.”

“That is a matter of opinion,” Signor Leonardo said quietly. 

“I know how to play,” Michelangelo insisted. “Here. Dare. I dare you to finish one of your paintings.”

Raffaello’s eyebrows rose. Signor Leonardo’s mouth dropped open. “I do finish my paintings!” he protested. “Occasionally, it just takes me a while.”

“Only because you try mixing things that should not be mixed.” 

“It is an artist’s prerogative to experiment!” 

“Michelangelo,” Raffaello butted in, “I am not sure you remember the rules correctly.” He needed to calm the two before he became caught in the middle of another fierce argument. He had heard the nightmarish stories about the time the two tried discussing Dante. “You must allow the person whose turn it is to pick Truth or Dare. If he selects Dare, then you must invent something that the person can do in the moment. Signor Leonardo cannot possibly begin and finish a painting here.” 

Michelangelo watched him intently. Raffaello resisted the urge to squirm from the intense, odd look in his eyes. “All right, then.” He turned once more to Signor Leonardo. “Truth or Dare?” 

“It was actually young Sanzio’s turn. I just had a turn before you were invited to join us.”

“Michelangelo can have my turn,” Raffaello said graciously. Maybe giving Michelangelo a chance to play would ease his mood somewhat. The man would enjoy life far more if he tried being pleasant once in a while. 

Michelangelo said nothing. Signor Leonardo smiled. “How very kind of you, Raffaello. Signor Buonarroti, Truth or Dare.” 

“Dare,” Michelangelo replied quickly.

Signor Leonardo’s smile assumed an edge that made Raffaello wonder if he should be nervous.

“I dare you,” he began, “to kiss young Sanzio.”

Michelangelo’s eyes widened. 

“What—?” Raffaello started. Before he could finish, strong, rough hands grabbed his shoulders and Michelangelo’s lips pressed hard against his. Raffaello froze, unsure what to do. Michelangelo’s beard scraped against his face. Raffaello suddenly felt small and fragile in Michelangelo’s firm embrace. He wondered what Signor Leonardo was thinking to ask Michelangelo to do such a thing. And yet…it was nice in a way Raffaello had not experienced before. Michelangelo kissed roughly but also passionately. His lips were warm. Slowly, Raffaello’s eyes closed, and he began to relax. Tentatively, he returned the kiss. 

Suddenly, Michelangelo broke away. His nostrils flared. He stared straight ahead, as if he wanted to look anywhere but in Raffaello’s direction. “There,” he said, gathering his sketches. “I played.” He stormed off, leaving Signor Leonardo studying him curiously and Raffaello’s face flushing red.


End file.
